Gloria Yakes has been using the HotChalk Learning Management System with her sixth through eighth-graders for the last two years. She registers all her students on MyClasses, which allows her to distribute assignments and have the students submit them back to her online. Formerly, Yakes says she had to go from computer to computer to view each student’s electronic file, or even have them copy their work to a floppy disc.

Time saved?
At least 10 hours each week.

Yakes also appreciates how HotChalk enables 21st century learning. Being able to view and exchange files online lets her communicate with students from any location, and saves paper, which helps the school in its efforts to “go green.”  And when a child needs to be out of school for a long period of time, as one of her students did last year, Yakes can be sure they don’t fall behind. She uses Microsoft’s Community Clips application to capture a video of her giving directions, or performing a step by step process and sends it out so the kids can actually “see” how to do assignments and activities. “This allows students a greater degree of independence,” says Yakes. It also helps cut down on the need to repeat instructions during class periods as students can view them over again on their own.

“The students think it’s really cool,” says Yates, who likes the idea of giving her charges a leg up on the kinds of technologies they’ll be encountering in high school and college.

Tips for other users?
Yakes says it’s a good idea to begin the semester with some assignments and even a quiz on how to use the HotChalk Learning Management System. She also reiterates the power of the screen casts she uses, which makes HotChalk an even more viable system for distance learning than it already is.

“It’s great. I love it!” says Yakes.

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